WE’RE almost there. Now there’s just the small matter of the third-fourth playoff Sunday morning separating us from arguably the biggest event in sports, the World Cup final.

Here are 32 essential facts to help you enjoy the game:

1. Argentina v Germany will be held at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro at 5am AEST on Monday morning. A global TV audience estimated at around 700 million — although figures are hard to verify and usually inflated by FIFA — should be tuning in.

2. Argentina are nicknamed La Albiceleste (the white and sky blue) and Germany are known at home as Die Nationalmannschaft. (Not just Die Mannschaft).

3. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, of Barcelona, is acknowledged as the world’s best player but he’s yet to play in the World Cup final. Convention says he needs to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy to be held in the same historical esteem as compatriot Diego Maradona and Brazilian Pele.

Lionel Messi celebrates after the semifinal defeat of Netherlands.Source: AFP

4. Messi is a four-time World Player of the Year, has won six Spanish La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies, and is the all-time Barcelona leading scorer with 354 goals in 425 matches. Oh, and he’s the highest-paid player in the world at $27 million per year (plus a staggering $40 million in endorsements).

5. West Germany beat Argentina in the 1990 final through a single goal, scored from the penalty spot by Andreas Brehme. That was West Germany’s most recent of three wins, and Argentina’s last appearance in a final.

6. This would be Germany’s first win as a unified force — the previous three in 1958, 1974 and 1990, were all as West Germany.

7. Germany have only failed to get out of the group stages once — and that was in 1938 after the country annexed Austria and tried to bring six of that country’s players into their squad, causing understandable divisions.

8. Germany is playing a record eighth final, with three wins and four second placings.

German fan form a heart with her hands that frames the German national flag.Source: AFP

9. Germany’s most recent final appearance was in 2002 when they lost 2-0 to Brazil. After that the German federation revamped their youth set up and have ploughed an estimated $1 billion into winning their next World Cup.

10. While Argentina have had injury concerns to cope with, Germany have sailed serenely through the competition. The squad suffered some stomach illness in the lead up to the semifinal but it wasn’t evident on the field as they demolished Brazil 7-1.

11. Argentina it tough against Netherlands, going the full 120 minutes and penalties. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella believes his team will be hard pressed to overcome their disadvantage — Germany will have an extra day off after an easy romp against Brazil.

12. Argentina have two world stars under fitness clouds. Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has battled injury throughout the tournament but got some game time in the semi and might replace Gonzalo Higuain up front. The team will be desperate to get Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria back from injury and the signs are hopeful.

Argentina's Sergio Aguero listens to a question during a news conference in Vespesiano, near Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Thursday.Source: AP

13. The teams met in the quarterfinals of the 2010 in South Africa and Germany handed out a 4-0 thrashing, with much of the blame on the shoulders of Argentina’s erratic, cigar chomping, coach Diego Maradona.

14. Germany will break a duck if they can triumph on Monday — no European team has won a World Cup in South America.

15. European teams have won 10 of the 19 World Cups to South America’s 9.

Germany's forward Andre Schuerrle heads the ball as he warms up during a training session in Santo Andre on Friday.Source: AFP

16. Argentina have won two World Cups. In 1978 they triumphed on home soil helped, in no small part when, needing to win a second round game by four clear goals against Peru, they triumphed 6-0. A Peru senator later claimed what many suspected — the game was fixed.

17. Germany coach Joachim Loew, nicknamed Jogi, is a snappy dresser. If the climate suits, look for his sweater draped stylishly around his shoulders. In the warmer games in Brazil he has worn a crisply ironed, tight fitting black shirt.

18. Loew is also a snappy player of mind games — getting into the officials heads before the Brazil semifinal. Brazil looked too afraid to say boo, let alone kick Jogi’s men black and blue.

19. Argentina’s coach Alejandro Sabella played eight times for his country in 1983 and spent some time in England with Sheffield United and Leeds United.

20. Sabella is from a wealthy family but considers himself a socialist.

21. Lionel Messi is not just Argentina’s main man on the field — many expect he leads them off the pitch as well. After the team’s late win in the opening match against Bosnia-Herzegovina it was rumoured Messi altered his coach’s formation from five at the back to a 4-3-3 formation. He also gave the team talk before extra time in the semis.

Argentina's head coach Alejandro Sabella during the match between Nigeria and Argentina.Source: AP

22. Germany have had 64 attempts on target for 17 goals at this tournament — a figure boosted by the Brazil win. Argentina have had 61 attempts on target with just eight goals.

23. Germany have committed 71 with four yellows and 0 reds. Argentina have committed fewer fouls — with 64 — bt have collected six yellows and no reds.

24. In head to heads, Germany leads 4-1 with one draw (not including a draw with East Germany in 1974). They played each other in two finals, Argentina winning 3-2 in 1986 and Germany winning 1-0 in 1990.

25. The players’ WAGs — wives and girlfriends — will have the media cameras occupied before and during the game. Look out for Lionel Messi’s girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo — she’ll be wearing an Argentina No. 10 shirt — who has been active on social media along with fellow Argentina WAGs:

Germany to take on Argentina in World Cup final
2:52

Andy Harper and Adam Peacock preview Monday mornings World Cup final between Germany and Argentina.

Fox Sports

10 Jul 2014

Sport/Football/World Cup

29. Germany might be trying to break the South American hoodoo but they will have the neutral support at Maracana. Argentina are Brazil’s bitter enemies and the worst possible follow up to their semifinal humiliation would be for Argentina to parade the trophy around on their turf.

30. There is a massive clamour for tickets from Argentina fans, with an estimated 100,000 travelling from the country to Brazil for the game.

Argentina fans gather at a makeshift campsite as they await the 2014 FIFA World Cup final on July 10, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Source: Getty Images

31. Argentina fans have coined a new anthem to sing during the tournament. translated it goes: Argentine fans for their part have adopted a new anthem to goad the hosts: “Brazil, tell me what it feels like to have your daddy in your house!”

32. Bookmakers have Germany betting favourite, at $1.67, to lift the trophy, with Argentina at $2.30.

The show continues after Brazil 2014 with Fox Sports
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